Book Reviews

Check Out These Real-Life Wonder Women! – With this year’s smash cinematic hit, Wonder Woman, the comic world’s best-known female superhero is back in the limelight. While her superhuman strength, intelligence and determination for justice are inspiring, there are some real life superheroes out there that are just as noteworthy.
Wonder Woman’s creator, William Moulton Marston, came of... read more

Books for Wausau chicken enthusiasts! – Now that Wausau's city council has voted to allow chickens within the city limits, local residents may be wondering just exactly how to make their dreams of backyard poultry a reality.
Well, first things first, we recommend you read the actual ordinance (8.08.012, page 10) and make sure what you're planning aligns with what is permitted in your area. And... read more

Stay cool with summer reads! – Whether you’re reading on the lake, at the beach, on a hammock or on the couch, summer is prime time for reading. With family road trips, long holiday weekends and plenty of leisure time, it’s best to never be without a book once the days get longer and hotter.
Below is a list of six highly anticipated new and soon-to-be released books that will keep you... read more

What to Read After "The Handmaid's Tale" – The Handmaid’s Tale, written by Canadian author Margaret Atwood in 1985, has been a popular dystopian novel that’s never gone out of print. Set in a near future East coast city, the U.S government has been overthrown by a religious totalitarian regime, and due to environmental and medical catastrophes much of the population is infertile. Besides... read more

What to Read After "13 Reasons Why" – Netflix's new hit series 13 Reasons Why has been in the news a lot recently due to its popularity with viewers and a bit of controversy. The show, based on the 2007 young adult novel by Jay Asher, follows a a teenager named Clay who receives a box of cassette tapes from his classmate, Hannah, detailing what led up to her suicide.
The show has been... read more

Make today your lucky day! – There’s no shortage of new releases at MCPL, with new items arriving on a weekly basis. While the waiting list for some highly-anticipated books, DVDs and CDs can be quite long, there is often another way you can check out these items without having to wait several weeks: the Lucky Day shelf!
Each MCPL location has a Lucky Day shelf near the circulation... read more

How to Raise a Successful Reader – Reading is a developmental process that every child reaches at their own pace. Not every six year-old is ready to learn to read, while some four year-olds are. Early reading instruction is something that most parents do naturally by reading to their children on a regular basis and inviting them to handle books. By doing this, young children learn that... read more

2017 Youth Media Award Winners – The American Library Association has announced its 2017 youth media award winners! The Marathon County Public Library owns copies of ALL of the major winners and runners-up, so feel free to click the links for each title below and place a hold on these titles today! For a full list of all award winners, visit the ALA website.
The John Newbery Medal for the... read more

Top 10 Audiobooks of 2016 – With the new year just a few days away, we at the Marathon County Public Library are taking the time to see which materials have been the most popular with our patrons here in northcental Wisconsin. We took a look at the number of check-outs each item had and have put together lists of the most popular items in each category.
Some folks don't like the idea... read more

Top 10 Adult Nonfiction Books of 2016 – With just a few days left to 2016, we at the Marathon County Public Library are reflecting on the past 12 months and analyzing which materials have been the most popular with our patrons here in northcentral Wisconsin.
When it comes to the top 10 most-checked out nonfiction books, it looks like many folks wanted to improve their lives in one way or another... read more

Top 10 Adult Fiction Books of 2016 – With 2016 coming to a close, we at the Marathon County Public Library are taking a look back at the past year to see what items have been most popular with our patrons here in northcentral Wisconsin.
When it comes to adult fiction, it seems that patrons can’t get enough mysteries, thrillers, and other action-packed books by popular authors like John... read more

National Book Award Winners at MCPL! – The 67th annual National Book Awards were held on November 16 in New York City. Authors and poets were awarded the coveted National Book Award in four different literary categories - Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry and Young People's Literature.
The winners of the 2016 National Book Awards are listed below. If you're inclined to check any (or all) the winners... read more